Magnum :: Hawai'i Vice
by MekQuarrie
Summary: Trouble is afoot as a drugs connection finds it way thru the islands of Hawai'i. But who is implicated? And who is prepared to break the chain? :: 'Palm Trees at Sunset' image reworked from Wikimedia Commons.
1. Chapter 1

Magnum sat on his own in the driver's seat. He had pointed the Ferrari to face out to see. Somewhere in the distance, well beyond the curve of the horizon, was the island of Fiji. He had been there once for a case, and once for a stag party. But he preferred Hawaii. The islands were quiet, spacious, and miles from anywhere. The people were friendly, and he had friends forged in hardship. He watched the Sun, peaking lazily high in the sky. He rarely had time for sentimentality. And now it was time for lunch.

As the car roared up the sweeping drive, Magnum noticed Higgins standing outside the main entrance. He was waiting 'at ease' with his hands folded behind his back at waist level. Usually his attendance at the main door was for distinguished visiting guests. Sometimes it was to take the earliest opportunity to rebuke Magnum and his wayward activities. Perhaps today, he would be more understanding. He was a worried man.

Magnum brought the car to a sharp and dangerous halt. Higgins did not move, and Higgins did not smile.

"Magnum, the estate supplies you with the fastest car on the open market, and an account with the finest automotive engineers in this part of the Pacific. And yet, all these benefits have no effect whatsoever on your haste in this most particular of matters. Why does nothing move you to speed as a means for good?"

Magnum sat still behind the wheel, Ray-ban's still in place. He was not sure where to begin. He had a number of possible replies. He could answer the direct question with a direct answer. This would explain his need for isolated thrills in among the long and empty days on the estate. He could also just be awkward and ask another question. This was his favorite response.

"Where's Robin Masters? I had a bit of vacation planned and you told me I had to stay to look after the security."

Higgins sighed heavily. There was no longer any need for him to shake his head in disappointment. Magnum knew by now that was a given.

"That's rather a grand view of your job here, Magnum. As ever, I will personally look after the security arrangements. You will provide the necessary protection for Mr Masters should matters require it. I am told that you are required for this weekend and the week ahead. Hence, you are told to stay. Does that require any further explanation?"

Magnum nodded. Higgins was Higgins, whatever his vulnerability.

"You make things very clear when you want to Higgins. Here are your dog tablets."

He held out the bag and tried to appear relaxed by leaning his other elbow over the edge of the car door. Higgins blinked, but his posture did not change. He did not move to take the bag.

"Ah. Now I have offended your primitive sensibilities. No offence is intended. Those are merely the facts of the matter. Please take the medication around to the kitchen when the car is parked. I will deal with Zeus there."

Magnum kept the bag raised for a few defiant seconds then tossed it onto the passenger seat. He regretted his impatience, but he might have expected one word of gratitude.

"I hope your dog gets better Higgins. I enjoy choosing which pants to wear in the morning based on how much I can afford to lose if one of them bites me. But here's another fact for you. The grocery store runs are usually down to the housekeeper."

He slipped the shift to 'D' and coasted the vehicle round to the garage. Usually he got to park the Ferrari outside his villa, the comfortable guest-house that he had now occupied for several years. But the Ferrari needed new tires after a series of ambitious pursuits, and three new sets had arrived from Italy. Raul was working in one of the brick stables where a pair of the estate's work-horse Jeeps were each in a state of deep maintenance.

"Hey there, Mr. Magnum. Just park her in the second stable there. I cleared it out last night. It shouldn't take me more than two hours to get those wheels changed."

"Thanks Raul. Call me Thomas when you can? We both work for Mr. Masters. How old are those Jeeps anyway? The ones I drove in Nam were beat-up enough. These look worse."

"These two are, I think, from Korea. They are in great condition. I think Mr Higgins and Mr Masters were both soldiers once, maybe both at the same time. Do you think that they each drove one of these?"

"Ha. 'His and Hers' Jeeps? That sounds too outrageous. Even though it's Higgins and Robin Masters we're talking about. It probably wouldn't surprise me."

Raul smiled and wiped the grease from his hands with gel and a rag. He watched Magnum slot the Ferrari into the stable. There was room for another vehicle beside it, and plenty of room to work besides. The third and fourth stables could each house larger vehicles, and each had a pit to work under the chassis if necessary. Another four stables were still set-up for horses and could be stocked with food and supplies with just a quick phone-call to Honolulu. Mr Masters had no time for horses but liked to accommodate his most distinguished guests. If any arrived with the intention of riding, Robin's Nest was ready.

"Just leave the keys there, Mr Magnum. If you need a car this afternoon, you can take my Oldsmobile. The keys are in the gatehouse. Otherwise, the Ferrari will be ready this evening."

"Your car? I might need to. I have to go back to town early for dinner. Don't you have time off this weekend?"

"Normally, I do, yes. I think Mr Masters needs all the staff on hand. I don't know why."

"Probably some golf buddies coming in from Australia."

"Well, Mr. Magnum, I had some worries around that. May I call you Thomas? I think Mr. Masters may be in trouble."


	2. Chapter 2

Tubbs dipped his prawn into the watery dressing and savored the taste. He had eaten well at dinner, but cocktails went down best with good company and good snacks

"You want me to send that back?" asked the bar-keep. He raised his eyebrows to show his reluctance. "You never know. I might catch the cook on a good day. He might only kill one of us."

It was a bit of a depressing time, but not unusual. In between cases there was a lot of down time. He and Crockett spent so much time building the background on their fake characters. After the busts had gone down and the dust had cleared they had to lie low.

"Sorry, Toni. These are great as always. Just bring my usual drink. I'm making a quick call. Be back in a few minutes."

When Tubbs was winding down from a long undercover assignment, he liked to lie low in the Gables. The pace there was a little less hectic than downtown. He was also less likely to meet anyone he was no longer friends with. He also liked to leave his 'cellular' phone back at the station. It was a status symbol in the marina. Here it made him look self-important.

The quarters dropped into the payphone slot. "Hey Dad," he began.

"Ricardo? Good to hear from you. I guess you thought about that idea of mine? How about it?"

"You know, Dad. I haven't really given it much thought. I've been busy with an assignment for a couple of weeks. Why don't you come down to Miami? We could talk about whatever you want."

His father laughed. "Hey. You know me Ricardo. I never go south of Jersey. But what could you say on the beach there that you couldn't say over the telephone now? If you don't like my idea, I say 'okay'. Some of your buddies from the P.D. are retiring. They would be good at security. Very good. I just wanted to keep the business in the family."

Tubbs sighed. "Family? You make it sound like an offer I can't refuse," he said with his best Brando voice. "it's the idea of retiring that I don't like. Retiring is about knowing when to quit. You've got to know when it's time to give up."

His father's voice sounded riled. "I'm not talking about giving up. A few municipal contracts. Hard work for good money. You could run the people side for me. You're good at that sort of thing. Leave the politics and the money to me. That's what I do."

Tubbs laughed quietly. "Yes. That's what you do. Listen. I'm not saying 'no'. I'm just saying I haven't thought about it yet. I could work for you, of course I could, but I have to think about the life I have here."

"That's the word Ricardo. Make sure you've got a life to live. You never know when what you do might turn on you." His father only guessed at what he did and never referred to it directly.

"We'll talk, Dad. That's my change running down. I'll see you soon." The receiver went quiet and the disconnect tone purred gently in his ear. There were more quarters on the top of the cabinet, but he had let the call end amicably.

As Tubbs sat back in the booth, other customers came and went. It was a quiet afternoon. He sat over a couple of drinks and even let himself think.

"Louis?" He was shaken from his thoughts. A short man was approaching from the back of the bar. Tubbs had no idea who he was.

"What did he say?" Tubbs quickly went thru the rolodex in his head. "Am I Luis from P.R? Did he mean Lewis from Boston? Was I ever a Louis?" He had so many identities.

"I thought you were working down South," he asked with false friendliness. His stupid emphasis on 'down South' would have alerted even a child to his implication.

Tubbs flashed his tolerant smile. He needed to show he was cool, but he did not want any idle conversation. "They seek me here. They seek me there. I'm on a rest period. But we haven't met have we?" Tubbs thought of his locker back at the headquarters with the cellular phone. And his side-arm, firmly in its holster, also in the locker.

The small man in his gym shirt and shorts flashed his teeth. "No, Louis. Marcus and I set up the Alba brothers deal. He might have mentioned me. You guys were close, I think." Marcus was one of Sonny's cover names. But the Alba deal had gone bad. Or it had gone well if you were alright with a giant shipment of illegal drugs sinking to the bottom of the sea.

Tubbs slapped his head with fake drama. "Right. I remember you were on the boat with Marcus. With the head-scarf. I'm sure he told you we were only business acquaintances. He was supposed to stand on the sidelines with the guns." Tubbs closed his eyes and pretended to look sad. "But all that shooting? Bad for business. Real bad."

The small man nodded wisely. "Yeah. Once the shooting starts, it's hard to know when it's going to stop."

Tubbs knew Crockett had slipped out of sight quietly. It had all happened weeks before. "I hope you got that bastard? I was in the clinic for weeks. Nearly drowned. And the fire!" Tubbs tilted his head to show the redness that still marked the back of his neck.

The small man nodded more seriously this time. "He's still walking around. I think he cut a deal with the cops. But - don't worry - one of the brothers survived. He's arranged to go into hiding. Somewhere in Venezuela, at least that's what he told me. But before he goes..." He smiled. "Marcus will be having a little conversation. You know? Just to explain his actions."

Tubbs sat cold in the booth. Was the small man here to kill him too? Tubbs was a sitting target if anyone else was there, hiding, waiting to ambush him. But if it was just this man, on his own, he might have a chance to take him down.

"And we need your help to do it, Louis. What d'you think?"


End file.
